The Interim
by Angelus1
Summary: With Marissa in the hospital, Summer just needs a friend.
1. Chapter 1

Title: The Interim  
  
Author: Angelus  
  
E-mail: angelus1317@hotmail.com (Please put "The Interim" on the subject line.)  
  
Subject: The O.C.  
  
Category: SSR  
  
Rating: PG-13.  
  
Summary: With Marissa in the hospital, Summer just needs a friend.  
  
Spoilers: "The Escape".  
  
Archive: Anywhere, just ask me first.  
  
Disclaimer: Seth, Summer, Ryan, Marissa, Sandy, Kirsten, Hailey, etc. are all property of Fox television, College Hill Pictures, Josh Schwartz, etc. Sadly, the only thing benefitting from this is my brain in creating more Adam Brody fantasies.  
  
Author's notes: I love this story. I can't believe it hasn't been done to death by now. Or maybe it has but I'm just too stubborn to see it. Anyway, this is going to be a standalone for now, but I kinda get the feeling like I should continue it. I dunno - what does everyone else think? Because I don't want to put it out there if nobody's gonna read it.  
  
Dedication: To Nikki. Because I know things are going crappy for you right now, but just know that I still love you, and I know I keep telling you this, but I just want it pounded into your little brain. I've had some shitty friends in the past, and after everything, I'm just so glad to still have you, and to know that I can come to you with anything, and you'll always help, and I want you to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you have that in me.  
  
~*~  
  
Seth Cohen & Marissa Cooper had never been especially close. As kids, their last names caused them to be shoved together fairly often, and they had played together, as all children did. But, even though they had lived next door to each other their whole lives, they had never really hung out outside of school. When middle school came, rich, pretty Marissa, along with Luke, Holly, Summer, etc, had been snatched up by "the popular crowd". Or, as Seth liked to refer to it, they had gone over to the dark side. But whatever you wanted to call it, Seth had never really been a part of it. He had never quite fit in in Newport at all, and was deigned the outcast. Since then, he and Marissa had rarely talked, in school or out.  
  
That had all changed when Ryan Atwood cam tumbling into their lives. Ryan had neither the time nor the patience for Harbor's carefully-constructed social structure. He wanted to hang out with Marissa, and he wanted to hang out with Seth, and Summer wanted to hang out with Marissa. It didn't seem to matter to him that these were two of the most desirable girls in the county, or that his best friend was a self-proclaimed loner, or that he himself was universally known as bad news. Ryan was a simple guy; he didn't see the point in wasting time deciding who it was or wasn't acceptable to hang out with.  
  
And thus, their bizarre little foursome had been formed. At first, so enamored was he with all the time he was getting to spend with Summer, Seth had barely paid Marissa any mind. After all, she was only there because of Ryan. But, without him even realizing it, she had endeared herself into his heart. He finally got to see the real Marissa - the sweet, nervous girl beneath the short skirts and excessive makeup. And it made him a bit sad to realize that she had been just a door away this whole time, but neither one of them have done a thing about it.  
  
The even sadder thing, though, was that now he might not get to know her any farther. He knew her life was making a turn for the worse, but he still didn't understand how she could kill herself over divorcing parents and a cheating boyfriend. Then again, he's not Marissa. He's got two wonderful, caring parents who've raised him to be a happy, optimistic child. He probably would have turned out just like Marissa - unstable and insecure - with Julie Cooper as a mother, too. But he didn't. He turned out like himself. Dorky, happy-go-lucky Seth. And even with the grief he got at school, he liked who he was. He was proud of it. That's what made the difference between him and Marissa.  
  
She had been in the hospital, unconscious, for about two weeks now. But while Seth had been only generally sad, Ryan had been torn apart inside. He barely functions anymore. Seth tried his best, but he just didn't know what to do. Sandy and Kirsten tried to talk to him, but he stays as closed and guarded as he was when he first arrived in Newport. He opened up a little to Seth, but he just didn't know what to do with what he told him. So when he didn't know what to say to Ryan, he just sat with him. If Ryan was in a good mood, maybe he would play a video game or two. It was good for him - Seth noticed that it took his mind completely away from his problems. So far, in fact, that they often ended up playing all night. And that was why Seth wasn't at all surprised when he woke up to the familiar walls of the poolhouse, Ryan snoring away beside him.  
  
It never got completely dark here. There were lights on the back of the house that stayed on all night and reflect off the water of the pool, scattering to illuminate the whole backyard. The skyline was lit with streetlights, and even the poolhouse had a tiny nightlight near the bathroom door. Seth could clearly see the rise and fall of Ryan's breath beside him; the moonlight streaming in from between the blinds covering the glass doors; the kitchen sink gleaming in the background. With a sigh, Seth climbed out of bed. With a quickness borne out of routine, for he had done this several times these past few weeks, he pulled off Ryan's socks, shoes, and pants. Then, knowing what a heavy sleeper he was, he gave the other boy a shove toward one side of the bed. Never was a word said about him ever doing any of this when Ryan would awake the next morning, and it was probably for the best, as that would lead to all kinds of awkwardness. Pulling off his own socks, shoes, shirt, and pants, Seth prepared to crawl back in bed and go to sleep.  
  
He wasn't sure what urged him to take a look outside. But even still, he found himself wandering over to the doors and peering out into the moonlight. What he found there made his heart skip a beat.  
  
Summer Roberts.  
  
She was sitting at the edge of the Cohen's pool, dangling her legs in the water, dressed in nothing but a tiny nightgown reminiscent of the one she'd worn in Tijuana. Only this one was a pale blue, making her seem to blend into her surroundings.  
  
She was here. Summer was *here*, at his house, in the middle of the night, with no explanations. He couldn't even *begin* to imagine what this was about.  
  
So he did the only thing he could think of. He went out to her.  
  
She turned her head at the sound of the door opening, and her dark eyes were wide and panicked when she looked at him, but she didn't move.  
  
"Summer?" Seth called softly to her. "What are you doing here?" Her eyes traveled down as he approached, and Seth realized that he had forgotten to put on a shirt before coming out. He sat down beside her.  
  
"I don't know," she confessed. "I couldn't sleep."  
  
"So you decided to walk halfway across town in the middle of the night to come to my place?" Hey, it wasn't that bad of a thought.  
  
"I was next door," Summer explained. "I've been staying with Kaitlyn. She's so scared. She can't get to bed at night. And she doesn't have anyone to talk to...Julie's there, and Caleb is over every now and then, but would you really want to tell either of them your problems?" Seth paused, trying to decide if he should press. But the fact that *she* was the one who had shown up in *his* yard at 4 a.m. sort of gave him the right.  
  
"What about you?" he asked. She straightened, turned to look at him, haughty glare.   
  
"What *about* me?" she inquired.  
  
"Who do *you* have to talk to?" Summer looked back at the water, faint trace of a smile on her face.  
  
"I'm a big girl," she said. "I can take care of myself."  
  
"*Right*." How could he forget? She was Summer Roberts - strong-willed, independent...and shivering. Without a word, Seth slid an arm around her shoulder and drew her to him, rubbing his hands up and down her goose-pimpled arms. He had a feeling, though, that her shivering had nothing to do with the warm California evening.  
  
"You don't have to, you know," he said quietly. "Your best friend just OD'd and got send to the hospital. No one expects you to be strong all the time."  
  
"I have to," she said, the words soft and measured, and Seth knew she was talking about her family situation. Years of neglect had demanded of her to be completely self-sufficient, regardless of what a ridiculous request it was of a 17-year-old.  
  
"Summer...who's at home right now?" Seth asked. "At your house. Is your dad there?" Summer looked down, biting her lips as she shook her head 'no'.  
  
"It's okay, though," she amended. "I'm staying with the Coopers 'till he gets back..."  
  
"You just said that their own daughter doesn't feel comfortable there," he countered. "You need somebody..." And all of the sudden, his eyes were inexplicably drawn to her lips.  
  
"I have you..." She said it so softly, he thought for a moment he might have imagined it. But then she was leaning forward, too, coming infinitely closer, and he desperately wanted to be that person for her...the one that she came to with her problems, the one she trusted...he knew he *could* be, if only she would let him...  
  
"Always," he promised, just before his lips touched hers. It was the briefest of kisses, and paled in comparison to the others they had shared. But it was also the sweetest; soft and unhurried, a kiss sealed with promises of more to come. Her lips were soft and her breath was warm and Seth felt himself getting a bit dizzy in the head, but then all of the sudden she pulled away. His head was still spinning, and Summer had a stricken look on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry," she murmured. "I shouldn't have come." And with that, she pushed herself away from him, attempting to stand and run back next door. Seth was too fast for her, though; he grabbed her by the leg, yanking her back down so that she landed in his lap.  
  
"Let go of me," she warned lowly. Although fearing for his physical and mental safety, Seth tempted fate by simply declaring"  
  
"No."  
  
"Cohen..."  
  
"Talk to me."  
  
"I'm going home."  
  
"Talk to me."  
  
"We have nothing to talk about."  
  
"Summer..."  
  
"Seth..."  
  
"I'll throw you in."  
  
"You wouldn't."  
  
"You wanna find out?" She struggled against him, but in the end, he did indeed throw her in. What he hadn't been counting on, however, was her pulling him in with her.  
  
When she surfaced, sputtering, the murderous glare on her face was ever more threatening that before. She opened her mouth, ready to let him have it. But Seth wasn't about to have Ryan or his parents wake up and spoil the moment. So he did the only thing he could think of to shut her up.  
  
He kissed her again. And this time, it was wet and hot and passionate and she tasted so damn good. He was getting dizzy again, but she felt so right in his arms that he couldn't bring himself to let her go. His hands groped and caressed and he steeled himself for her biting his tongue or shoving him away, but it never came; she just clung tightly to him, and then they were sinking below the surface of the water, and they had to let go of each other to stay afloat. Although Seth was positive that he would have happily drowned right there, as long as he was holding onto her.  
  
They gasped for air and swam to the edge. Seth got there first, and extended an arm to catch Summer by the waist and draw her against him once more.  
  
"Seth..." she breathed.  
  
"No, shh," he interrupted, placing a silencing finger to her lips. "Let me talk." She nodded, agreeing with him for probably the first time ever.  
  
"Summer, I know you want to do this all by yourself, and I'm sure everyone else is going to let you. But not me. You shouldn't have to. You're 17 years old, Summer. You shouldn't have to be a parent, to yourself or to anyone else. You're coming to stay with me."  
  
"Cohen - "  
  
"Ahh! I'm talking, remember? While I will, indeed, benefit from this just by having you around, this is not a selfish suggestion. This is for you. My parents love you. They'll understand. You need people, Summer. It's okay to admit that."  
  
"No. No, you don't understand. I *can't* need people." Seth reached out to stroke her cheek.  
  
"*Why*?" he asked. She bit her lip, refused to meet his eyes.  
  
"Because they always leave," she said. Seth was speechless for a moment - another first for tonight. Who in their right minds would want to leave her? He knew she had had people leave her - her mother, her father, various boyfriends...and now Marissa. It didn't matter that she hadn't done it on purpose - what mattered was that in the end, Summer ended up alone.  
  
"C'mere," Seth said, and she snuggled against him. For a moment, he just held her. Then, he pushed her back slightly so that he could look into her eyes.  
  
"Summer...no matter what happens, I'm here for you. You know that, right?"  
  
"I do now."  
  
This time, she was the one who initiated the kiss. And it was sweet and slow and perfect. She could get used to this. Who would have thought she'd ever get to where she was right now? In Seth Cohen's arms, ready and willing to stay there for the rest of her life? Well, maybe the rest of her life was overdoing it a bit, but Summer felt no inclination to move. Ever.  
  
The thoughts she was having were scary ones. Summer had never been dependent on anyone - she had never let herself be, out of necessity. Her mom had left at an early age, her dad was never around, her stepmoms always hated her...and just when she had thought it was safe to put her faith in Coop, she pulled something like this. A part of Summer knew how selfish that thought sounded, but she just couldn't help it. Marissa knew how much Summer leaned on her. Why hadn't she said something? Why had she left Summer to clean up her mess?  
  
If it wasn't for all the Tijuana crap, none of the rest of this would have happened; she wouldn't have found herself in Seth Cohen's pool at 4:30 in the morning, kissing him like there was no tomorrow. She wouldn't be freaking out about letting someone in and trusting them after all this time. And she wouldn't be, slowly but surely, growing to the point where maybe this thing - letting herself fall for Seth Cohen - wasn't such a bad thing after all.  
  
Suddenly, Summer felt her dark mood dissipate. This was going to be okay. What she had here? It was a good thing. And she wasn't about to let it go. So, she supposed, in that way, Marissa's problems had made Summer come to terms with some of her own. Who knew clouds really did have silver linings?  
  
Feeling playful, Summer ducked out of Seth's embrace and dove beneath the water. Laughing, he followed. While underwater, Summer slithered out of the nightgown she had been wearing, holding it up for Seth's inspection when she came up for air. His mouth flew open and his cheeks turned red and he started to stammer incoherently.  
  
"I - Summer..."  
  
"Come on, Cohen," she urged. "Live a little." His eyes narrowed at the challenge, and he began wriggling and splashing. In just a few seconds, he had thrown his sopping wet boxers at her. She caught them with a grin as he dove underwater towards her. For a few minutes, she at least gave the impression that she was trying to get away from him. Granted, she didn't move very fast, but it wasn't like she actually *wanted* to get away. Within seconds of catching her, he had her trapped in a corner, his arms anchoring them to the side of the pool and keeping them afloat.  
  
"Right where I want you," Seth murmured. Summer tossed her head defiantly.  
  
"Ha! I *let* you catch me." He grinned.  
  
"I know," he replied. Summer rolled her eyes.   
  
"As *if*," she muttered. Seth's grin only broadened.  
  
"Now *there's* the Summer Roberts we all know and love," he teased. She chuckled, but weakly. Because all of the sudden, the situation had ceased to be funny. There was nothing funny about Seth Cohen's naked body pressed against hers. A moan escaped from one of them, though neither could say who. And then they kissed, again, long and hot and hard. It was like they were magnetically drawn to each other. Which was about the cheesiest, most cliched thing that had ever crossed her mind, but *damn*. His lips were magnetic. That was the only way she could describe it. How a guy who had gotten literally no action for the first sixteen years of his life could kiss this well, she didn't know, but there should have been a law against it, because she couldn't make herself stop. And now they were kissing, and bare parts were brushing against bare parts they probably really shouldn't be.  
  
Summer wasn't a virgin. Not by a long shot. But she also wasn't a whore. In her whole life, she had only slept with 4 different guys. But you know how high school goes - rumors spread like wildfire, and before long, Summer was known for being cheap & easy. Somehow she doubted, knowing him as well as she did, that any of Seth's interest in her was rooted in that. But still, at the back of his mind, there was no doubt that he was thinking about it right now. And she wanted desperately to show him that that wasn't who she was. It was probably the hardest thing she had ever done, but Summer ripped herself away from Seth's endlessly persistent tongue and fingers.  
  
"God, Summer," he gasped breathlessly.  
  
"This...we're not doing this now," she said. He gaped at her, his face a million different shades of red. When he could finally form coherent sentences again, he nodded.  
  
"I know," he said, and kissed the top of her head. "I know. Not now. But..."  
  
"Someday," Summer promised. Smiling into her hair, Seth engulfed her tiny body in a hug.  
  
"I love you," he murmured.  
  
"I know," she returned. God, this just felt so right. Any other guy would have pressed her for sex. But Seth wasn't other guys; he was Seth. And all he did was hold her. Why did she bother with other guys when she had him right here? But, then again, she hadn't really bothered with other guys at all lately. She really didn't care to dwell on it, but when she really thought about it...the absence of her love life really hadn't taken place until right after Caleb Nichol's birthday party; until right after she had spent the whole night trying to find the perfect guy, only to discover that he had been hovering by her side in the background the whole time.  
  
She wasn't sure how long they had been in the pool, but as they floated there, holding each other, there came a slight noise from the house. Two dark wet heads jerked up.  
  
"Maybe we should go inside," Seth suggested.  
  
"Or put some clothes on," Summer agreed.   
  
"Where would be the fun in that?" he murmured, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Summer rolled her eyes. Unable to help himself, Seth pressed a quick kiss to her lips before letting her go and diving below the water to grab their clothes.  
  
"Don't peek," he instructed, before pushing himself out of the pool. Glancing over his shoulder, he wasn't surprised to find her shamelessly ogling him anyway. "Just as long as the favor is returned," he tossed at her, and chuckled.  
  
"In your dreams, Cohen," she chided.  
  
Seth turned around, giving her a full-frontal view.  
  
"Every night," he confessed. And with that, he turned and disappeared through the French doors.  
  
Inside the poolhouse, Seth tip-toed quietly past his sleeping brother. The last thing he needed right now was to have to sit and explain why he was sneaking around at five a.m, wet and naked. In the bathroom, he threw the clothes he and Summer had been wearing in the hamper and grabbed a few towels, wrapping one around his waist. Then, from Ryan's dresser, he pulled out a T-shirt and boxers for himself, and a sweatshirt and boxers for Summer. Finally, he snuck back out just as quietly as he had entered, even remembering to avoid the squeaky spot on the floor. And all within the course of under five minutes. So he was eager - so sue him.  
  
And my, was he rewarded for his efforts. When he got back outside, there was Summer, floating on her back in the water. Stunned, Seth inhaled sharply, almost dropping his pile of towels and clothes. Summer righted herself with a grin.  
  
"That was quick," she said.  
  
"Uh-huh..." His mouth stayed open as Summer pushed herself out of the pool like he had, not at all self-conscious. She strode toward him, water dripping in rivulets down her perfect body. She was legs and breasts and hips and tan and slender but filled out in just the right places...  
  
Seth gulped.  
  
Taking a towel from him, Summer wrapped it around herself. But, Seth's wandering eyes noted, it didn't cover her in just the right places...  
  
"So. Is the favor repaid?" she asked, using a second towel to squeeze the water from her hair.  
  
"I don't know. Can we do that again, just to be sure?" Smiling, Summer kissed him. Closing his eyes, Seth pulled her closer and deepened the kiss. He felt like he had died and gone to heaven. But, then again, this was the very *definition* of heavan: a half-dressed Summer Roberts kissing him sweetly on the lips.  
  
He loved this girl.  
  
They changed on respective sides of the poolhouse, and walked back to the main house hand-in-hand. Seth led Summer up the stairs to his bedroom. They lay together on his bed, Summer's head pillowed on Seth's shoulder. Seth leaned down to kiss her, his eyes fluttering closed. Her tiny body felt so soft and warm against his. Within moments, Seth was teetering on the edge of sleep.  
  
"Goodnight, Summer," he murmured.  
  
"'Night, Seth," she replied. Seth snuggled up against her, preparing for the most pleasurable sleep he'd had in quite a long time.  
  
He never really noticed that she had finally called him by his first name. 


	2. Chapter 2

The Interim (2/?)  
Angelus angelus1317@hotmail.com  
See first chapter for disclaimer, etc.  
  
~*~  
  
It was Saturday.  
  
Seth loved Saturdays. He slept so late that his parents were usually already at work when he woke up, which was generally around noon. He would have a huge breakfast/lunch, watch T.V. or play video games or hang out by the pool until his parents got home, his dad would cook an amazing dinner, they would hang out as a family and watch a movie or play cards or some minty board game until around midnight, around which time his mom would break out the ice cream. So at about 1:30, Seth would finally get to bed, full and happy. He knew quite well that, living in Newport, having a caring family, much less one that made up cheesy weekly rituals, was rare. And that was why he savored it even more.  
  
Although he would never admit it, Ryan was a big fan of Saturdays, too. He tried to brush it off like it was just another day, but Seth knew him better than that by now. He saw the way he would turn his head in embarrassment when Kirsten tried to hug or kiss him, or the little smile that would peek through every now and then as he helped his Sandy in the kitchen. Having Ryan here had only made Saturdays better, something that a young Seth had never thought possible. Now he had someone to watch TV, play video games, or hang out by the pool *with*; someone to share in the often embarrassing antics that were his parents.  
  
When he was about six or seven, Seth had had a friend named Malcom. Malcom had three sisters and a brother, and loved it. Sure, every once and awhile when his brother would get mad and punch him, or when his sisters would never let him into the bathroom, but for the most part he loved his siblings. Seth had never understood that. Until Ryan came tumbling into his life.  
  
Shutting the door to his room behind him as quietly as possible, Seth made his way downstairs. As was to be expected, Ryan was on the couch in his boxers, already deep into a game of Final Fantasy. When he saw Seth standing in the doorway of the living room, however, he immediately paused the game and looked up, and Seth knew he had been caught.  
  
"So, I went into the bathroom this morning," Ryan began. "And I noticed that the hamper was open. When I went to close it, I found a nightgown and a pair of your boxers. Then, when I went to get dressed, I noticed that several clothing items of mine were missing, some of which you're now wearing..." Seth chewed his lip. "You gonna start explaining?"  
  
"Yeah. Of course. Because, you see - "  
  
"Cohen?" Her voice, unmistakable, coming from upstairs. Busted. Ryan's eyes widened to twice their normal size.   
  
"Summer slept over?" he asked.  
  
"Ahh..." Light, feminine footsteps coming down the stairs.  
  
"Hey," she said from behind him. "I thought I heard voices." She nodded at Ryan.  
  
"Chino."  
  
"Summer." Awkward silence number one.  
  
"Okay, well, I'm gonna borrow Seth for a minute," Summer said, and dragged him into the kitchen. As soon as they were out of the line of Ryan's sight, she leaned forward, dropping her head onto Seth's chest and wrapping her arms around his waist. Seth smiled, kissing the top of her head. So they weren't going to pretend like last night never happened - that was good. When he had woken up next to her, he had panicked, thinking that she was going to wake up, flip out, and never speak to him again. Which was why he had left her and come downstairs in the first place. But now, it appeared as if that was going to be a non-issue. God, when had he gotten this lucky?  
  
He wasn't sure why they had instinctively hidden this from Ryan. Maybe because it was so fresh and new and he didn't really want to ruin it by having Ryan and Marissa speculating 24/7. So for now, this was just going to be between them. He was good with that.  
  
Summer tilted her head back to look up at him. "Hi," she said. Seth smiled down at her.  
  
"Good morning," he replied. She pouted.  
  
"I woke up this morning and you were gone."  
  
"I woke up this morning with fear for my physical health." Summer looked confused.  
  
"What? Why?" she asked.   
  
"Rage blackouts," he reminded her. "In the past, my advances have generally been met with threats of violence.  
  
"Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. "I'm not *that* bad!"  
  
"Summer, just a few weeks ago, you threatened to poke my eyes out with a fork. Not even an hour later, you wanted to smother me with a pillow in my sleep!"  
  
"I was *joking*!" By this point, Seth had let go of her and was shaking his head.  
  
"Your bedside manner astounds me," he said as Ryan entered.  
  
"Children, children," he chided. Summer whipped her head around to shoot him a glare that would have made most men cower in fear.  
  
"Shut it, Chino," she warned. Ryan just chuckled as he padded over to the refrigerator to grab the milk carton.  
  
"I would be nice to me if I were you, Summer," he said. "Need I remind you whose clothes you're currently wearing?" Summer's eyes narrowed, but Ryan noticed that she was also blushing. "By the way," he continued. "I never did find out exactly how you ended up sleeping in Seth's room and wearing my underwear. He didn't tell me. Would you care to?" Summer looked down, sneaking a peek at Seth out of the corner of her eye. Looking over, Ryan saw that he, too, was turning red. Shaking his head, Ryan laughed.  
  
"You guys are so dysfunctional," he said as he left. Seth watched him go, then turned back to Summer, trying to judge if it was safe.  
  
"Dysfunctional, huh?" he ventured. She smiled sweetly at him.  
  
"No, I'm not dysfunctional, I'm violent, remember?"  
  
"Summer..." She stepped forward and kissed him fiercely.  
  
"Play nice," she warned. "Or else no more of this." Seth kissed her again.  
  
"Can't have that," he murmured against her lips.  
  
So...living with Summer. This would be a trip. 


End file.
